On Tuesday, the Senate confirmed Susan Monarez to lead the centers for the control and prevention of diseases, and put a long -time government scientist at the head of an agency, that of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The 50 -year -old Monarez is the second choice of President Trump for the job. It was confirmed in a largely party line vote, 51-47.
The CDC has had no leader since March when Monarez resigned as deputy director because it was nominated as director. She is the first candidate for CDC director to demand confirmation from the Senate.
Monarez will take the helm of an agency under fire.
The Trump administration would like to reduce its budget by almost half in 2026, and hundreds of employees have been shortened. In the meantime, doctors and experts in public health have accused Kennedy of undermining the agency’s credibility by changing the vaccine recommendations and releasing all members of a vaccine advisory body.
In the absence of a director, Kennedy We fired all 17 members of the advisory board committee for immunization practices (ACIP) and replaced them with its own handpicked members. The CDC director has to complete the ACIP recommendations so that they become official agency policy, but Kennedy has taken on the role itself without a director.
Kennedys Acip voted last month to remove the conservative thimerosal of flu vaccine, although numerous studies showed that it is certain if they are rarely used more. kennedy Signed the recommendation Last week; But he still has to sign one of the same meeting in which everyone is recommended to get a flu shot.
He also avoided the time-honored agency paths when he unilaterally announced that HHS Covid-19 vaccines for vigorous pregnant women and vigorous children would no longer recommend.
In contrast to other Trump Health candidates, Monarez is is not known As a controversial flame thrower. She has worked in several offices in the federal government for almost 20 years, but did not work for the CDC before Trump typed her as a acting head of the agency shortly after his second term.
Before her role at CDC, she was deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). Before she entered the government, she was a science and technology policy with the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Trump chose Monarez so as not to support the agency after his first election, the former MP of Florida, Dave Weldon (R). Weldon has been greatly checked because it promotes a unmasked connection between vaccines and autism.
During her hearing of her confirmation, Monarez told the Democrat that “vaccines save lives” and said there was no evidence that causes vaccines for autism.
But she went a fine line and made sure not to contradict her potential boss directly, even though she bumps through democratic senators. She called for the health, educational, labor and pension committees of the Senate Party line vote.
“In my opinion, we need a CDC director that defend science, protects public health, the dangerous conspiracy theories of Kennedy about safe and effective vaccines that have saved millions of lives over the years,” said Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), the Supreme Democrat of the Help Committee before becoming against her nomination.
“After checking their records, I don’t think Dr. Monarez sees this person,” said Sanders.
In the support of Monarez ‘nomination, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Help Committee, chairman of the committee, said “Das Land” needs a CDC director who makes serene decisions in science, a guide who will reform and work on the public’s trust in health institutions. ”
